Day Nine in Africa: From Angola to Equatorial Guinea
By Claudia Torres – Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Pope Leo XIV has begun the fourth and final leg of his Apostolic Journey in Africa. He left Angola on Tuesday morning, 21 April, after a farewell ceremony at the 4 de Fevereiro airport in Luanda, and headed north to Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.
Remembering Pope Francis’ gift to the Church
Speaking to journalists aboard the papal plane on the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ passing, he expressed gratitude for the great gift of the late pontiff’s life for the Church. He remembered his gestures of attention and closeness to the poor, the sick, children, and the elderly, and he spoke of the Argentine Pope’s promotion of universal fraternity, a key theme of his 12-year pontificate. He also recalled the late Pope’s message of mercy, citing the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy he called in 2015. “He spoke from the heart of God’s mercy,” Pope Leo said, and of “this great love, of forgiveness, a generous expression of the Lord’s mercy.”
Commitment to work with Angola
Regarding Angola, he mentioned his conversation with the African country’s President, in which he said they discussed ways in which the Church can help improve health and education systems in the country, including through the construction of new hospitals and other structures. He also stressed the importance of continuing to work for the new evangelization in Angola, not by proselytizing but by witnessing to the beauty of the faith. “The joy of believers is one of the best proclamations of the faith,” he said.
About two and a half hours later, he landed in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea, on the island of Bioko. People lined the streets, cheering and waving flags to welcome the Pope to the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa.
Meeting with Equatorial Guinea’s authorities
After the customary welcome at the airport, the Pope travelled by car to the presidential palace, where he held a private meeting with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the longest-serving president in Africa, who has been in office since 1979.
Then the Holy Father met with the country’s authorities, members of civil society and the diplomatic corps. He told them that “it is even more evident today than in years past that the proliferation of armed conflicts is often driven by the exploitation of oil and mineral deposits, occurring with no regard for international law or the self-determination of peoples.” He also noted that “the rapid technological evolution we are witnessing has accelerated speculation regarding raw materials,” a shift that he said “seemingly overshadows fundamental imperatives such as the safeguarding of creation, the rights of local communities, the dignity of labor and the protection of public health.” These same technologies, he said, “often appear to be conceived and utilized primarily for warlike purposes, within contexts that fail to expand opportunities for all.” He said God’s name “must not be profaned by the will to dominate, by arrogance or by discrimination; above all, it must never be invoked to justify choices and actions of death.”
Meeting with the world of culture
After his meeting with the authorities, the Pope held an event with the world of culture in Malabo, during which he inaugurated the National University’s León XIV Campus, which was named in his honor, to commemorate his visit.
He thanked them but noted that “the inauguration of a university campus is more than a mere administrative act. It transcends the simple expansion of infrastructure and places for study.” He said this inauguration was “an act of trust in human beings, an affirmation of the fact that it is worth the effort to continue wagering on the formation of new generations” and on the “demanding” but “noble” task of “seeking the truth and putting knowledge at the service of the common good.”
Visit to a psychiatric hospital
He then visited the Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, where he addressed the stigma of disability present in Equatoguinean society. “God loves us just as we are,” he said, “but he does not intend for us to stay that way! No, God does not want us to remain sick forever” but rather, “he wants to heal us!” He explained that “a hospital, especially one with a Christian mission, is a place where a person is welcomed just as they are and respected in their frailty, so that they can be helped to get better according to a holistic vision.” His message was received enthusiastically by hospital patients, who broke into applause several times during the visit, which was enlivened even more by their singing and dancing.
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